River Flyfishing Home Counties

Hello,

I am moving back to the UK from the US. Not sure where yet, but near
London. What's foremost on my mind is where am I going to fish? After
browsing the web for some nice river fly fishing anywhere near where I
may end up I am in a near panic. I can't afford to spend 150 quid for a
day on the river or have the time to drive all the way to south Wales.
Any tips anyone?

While in the USA fly fishing has become my No 1 passion over the last
few years. For 25 dollars a year I could fish anywhere I wanted in my
state, I usually manage to wade or float for smallmouth bass and trout
at least 3 times a week after work and the occasional Saturday or
Sunday for steelhead and salmon. All practically for free.

cheers, Robert

wrote in message
ups.com...

I am moving back to the UK from the US. Not sure where yet, but near
London. What's foremost on my mind is where am I going to fish? After
browsing the web for some nice river fly fishing anywhere near where I
may end up I am in a near panic. I can't afford to spend 150 quid for a
day on the river or have the time to drive all the way to south Wales.
Any tips anyone?

It all depends how much time you want to spend on the
London Orbital (ring-road). There are a few very famous
trout lakes in Kent and cheap or free stream fishing in
Kent and Oxon., so it makes a difference which side
of London you live. You even see fly fishers on the
Welsh Harp pond (they tell me.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Hi Don,

I will most likey be on the Bucks/Berks side of town, somewhere up on
the M4 or M40.
Oxfordshire sounds good, do you have details?

thanks,

Rob

Don Phillipson wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...

I am moving back to the UK from the US. Not sure where yet, but near
London. What's foremost on my mind is where am I going to fish? After
browsing the web for some nice river fly fishing anywhere near where I
may end up I am in a near panic. I can't afford to spend 150 quid for a
day on the river or have the time to drive all the way to south Wales.
Any tips anyone?

It all depends how much time you want to spend on the
London Orbital (ring-road). There are a few very famous
trout lakes in Kent and cheap or free stream fishing in
Kent and Oxon., so it makes a difference which side
of London you live. You even see fly fishers on the
Welsh Harp pond (they tell me.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi Don,

I will most likey be on the Bucks/Berks side of town, somewhere up on
the M4 or M40.
Oxfordshire sounds good, do you have details?

I would start with the Windrush at Stonesfield.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello,
All practically for free.

cheers, Robert


I have never found a place in the USA that meets your criteria. I mean the
burgers and the beer,,,,sheesh, it adds up!

john

In article . com,
wrote:
Hello,

I am moving back to the UK from the US. Not sure where yet, but near
London. What's foremost on my mind is where am I going to fish? After
browsing the web for some nice river fly fishing anywhere near where I
may end up I am in a near panic. I can't afford to spend 150 quid for a
day on the river or have the time to drive all the way to south Wales.
Any tips anyone?

Yes. Don't go to London - too many other people wanting to fish see?

How far is 'Near?' - or do you measure it in commuting time?

The nearest good quality, relatively cheap and not oversubscribed wild
trout river fishing would be the Kennet or better the Salisbury area (Avon
and tribs). The Chiltern waters are horribly overpriced and the Hampshire
rivers are both overpriced and overstocked.

There are some artificial looking waters in Surrey, I was invited to fish a
so-called chalk stream stretch of the Wey once but I took one look at the
hulking rainbows in there and declined.

Cheerio,

--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
uk.rec.fishing.game Badge Page:
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/urfg/

Derek Moody wrote:

In article . com,
wrote:

Hello,

I am moving back to the UK from the US. Not sure where yet, but near
London. What's foremost on my mind is where am I going to fish? After
browsing the web for some nice river fly fishing anywhere near where I
may end up I am in a near panic. I can't afford to spend 150 quid for a
day on the river or have the time to drive all the way to south Wales.
Any tips anyone?


Yes. Don't go to London - too many other people wanting to fish see?

How far is 'Near?' - or do you measure it in commuting time?

The nearest good quality, relatively cheap and not oversubscribed wild
trout river fishing would be the Kennet or better the Salisbury area (Avon
and tribs). The Chiltern waters are horribly overpriced and the Hampshire
rivers are both overpriced and overstocked.

There are some artificial looking waters in Surrey, I was invited to fish a
so-called chalk stream stretch of the Wey once but I took one look at the
hulking rainbows in there and declined.

Cheerio,


Hi,


The Salisbury Club has some excellent bits of river but the
waiting list is around 4 years at the moment.
I hear of people having membership of little clubs and
consortia but I would be surprised if you could tap into
this from London. It is not what you know but who you know
that counts.
http://www.salisburydistrictac.co.uk

Some nice still waters in this direction too. My fave is
Holbury Lane Lakes near Romsey. They have river too but
budget £30 or so per visit...

http://www.holburylakes.co.uk/

Regards,
Steve Crook
Salisbury, UK

In article , Steven Crook
wrote:

The Salisbury Club has some excellent bits of river but the
waiting list is around 4 years at the moment.

That's the premium membership list. They (you?) run a split-level club
where those who want to pay more for access to some classic water
effectively subsidise the plebs who settle for the bits where other fish
swim alongside the spotty ones. The mixed list is open and includes some
nice flyfishable water - but it's not exclusive - on a weekend or a school
holiday you might encounter coarse anglers of the sit-down-on-a-basket style
but they won't mind if you don't.

(There are a few bits of water available on a day ticket if you want a
taster.)

Once 'in' you can apply to upgrade if you like but iIrc the biggest
trout are in the mixed sections feeding on dace and roach.

And it was -flyfishing- rather than game fishing that the OP was looking for
so dace, chub and pike might be just as acceptable even if tecnically OT
here.

I know if I lived a little closer I'd join like a shot but in order to get
to Salisbury I have to cross the Stour which always looks so fishy I just
have to stop and check...

I hear of people having membership of little clubs and
consortia but I would be surprised if you could tap into
this from London. It is not what you know but who you know
that counts.

http://www.salisburydistrictac.co.uk

OK, tough towards London but there are lots of little bits of water worth
seeking out on day tickets or even, sometimes, free once you get clear of
the major conurbations. There's one free section not very far from you
where I've taken several wild brownies over 2lb with a best of 5.5lb - (no
I'm not daft enough to tell where on a public ng) - two or three a year
among other mixed catches - we don't flog the water but drop in for an hour
sometimes on the way to other waters.

Cheerio,


--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
uk.rec.fishing.game Badge Page:
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/urfg/

In article . com,
writes
Hello,

I am moving back to the UK from the US. Not sure where yet, but near
London. What's foremost on my mind is where am I going to fish? After
browsing the web for some nice river fly fishing anywhere near where I
may end up I am in a near panic. I can't afford to spend 150 quid for a
day on the river or have the time to drive all the way to south Wales.
Any tips anyone?

While in the USA fly fishing has become my No 1 passion over the last
few years. For 25 dollars a year I could fish anywhere I wanted in my
state, I usually manage to wade or float for smallmouth bass and trout
at least 3 times a week after work and the occasional Saturday or
Sunday for steelhead and salmon. All practically for free.

cheers, Robert

look at this document and search (say) on "windrush"
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk..._ticket_rivers
_562861.pdf#search=%22farmoor%20windrush%20%20fly% 20fishing%22

look at http://www.salisburydistrictac.co.uk/
or at http://www.cotswoldangling.co.uk/
or at http://www.grhe.co.uk/
and http://www.christchurchac.org.uk/

google "darent valley trout fishers"

point google at uk.rec.fishing.game and search on "windrush"

good affordable near London is hard to find ...
--
Ellis Morgan

In article , Ellis Morgan
wrote:

look at http://www.salisburydistrictac.co.uk/

Well worth it

or at http://www.cotswoldangling.co.uk/
or at http://www.grhe.co.uk/

This is my local club. A waste of time, money and first-class water.
- Purist snobbery prohibits methods likely to catch the better fish.
I have fished it all over the years as guest or on a day ticket but they
insist on minute dries and upstream nymphs only (when banging the biggest fly
in the box down under each bush in turn is the way to go) - and when the
minnows are spawning will they let you use a sculpin pattern? Of course not,
you might go and catch one of those 8lb+ wildies...

and http://www.christchurchac.org.uk/

Pretty good but the better flyfishing is on all-methods water so don't be
surprised to meet all sorts on the bank.

Cheerio,

--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
uk.rec.fishing.game Badge Page:
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/urfg/